Collide
by Nat-Slash
Summary: Snape rescued Lupin after Voldemort and a group of Death Eaters ambushed him, bringing him back to his flat? What happens when to rivals have to live and work together? Disclaimer: J.K.Rowling's, plot mine. Warnings: Slash, SSRL.


Collide

Chapter 1- Rude Awakening

Pitch black eyes peered on as a brown haired man slept fitfully in the large bed. His fever was at last receding but the nightmares now enveloped his sleep causing Severus to worry.

He placed his hand on the man's forehead and jumped slightly as a fist closed tightly around his wrist.

Golden eyes met his black ones as he stared down at the awakened man. A snarl fell upon the sick man's lips until, finally, his grasp loosened and his eyes became a dark blue once more.

"S-Severus," he whispered, his voice croaking with long disuse. "What happened?"

His hand still upon the other man's forehead, which was now only slightly warm, Severus withdrew it and placed it, somewhat awkwardly, on the man's shoulder.

"Lupin," he began, but was interrupted by the man.

"Please, Severus," he said, regaining the use of his voice with ease. "Call me Remus. We aren't enemies, after all."

Severus bristled, but nodded.

"Fine. Remus, then," he said, the name foreign in his mouth. Lupin smiled. "You were ambushed by Death Eaters. They performed a Cruciatus curse on you and left you in the woods unconscious. I found you there the next day, having a hard time of getting away from Voldemort and other less trusting Death Eaters without looking suspicious. You were awake and half crazed, and nearly attacked me upon sight. I stunned you and brought you back here. By the time you came around, you recognized me it seemed and yet, were still confused, and so I bathed you, dressed you in some of my clothes, and put you in my own bed. You smiled at me and muttered something that I never caught before slipping into unconsciousness once more. That was nearly a month ago, and you hadn't waken since."

Lupin frowned and looked down toward the foot of the bed.

"Why'd you bother to find me, Severus?" I know you aren't too fond of me, so why risk your disguise to save me?"

Severus frowned. He really had no answer to a question like that, and was far to worn and weary to create one.

"I honestly don't know, but the fact remains that I did it and here we are."

Lupin didn't press the matter. Instead, he pushed down on the bed, his palms flat on the mattress, and began to slowly sit up, grunting softly in pain. Strong arms gripped his waist gently as Severus helped him into a sitting position.

His feet on the floor, Lupin allowed Severus to help him up, placing his hand on the taller man's shoulder for balance. He hated being so vulnerable around an old rival, but something about the black haired man relaxed and comforted him. He felt the old Slytherin's muscles tense under his touch and for some reason this caused him to grin. Severus led him to the bathroom and guided him to the toilet, which sat next to the tub, and Lupin sank onto it, a little out of breath.

"Think you are up for a bath?"

"Yes," Lupin said, grimacing in disgust. "I can tell I haven't had one since the day you brought me here."

"Will you be alright by yourself," Severus asked. "Or do you need my assistance." Lupin raised a brow as a grin filtered onto his face.

"Why, Severus," he said, a bit of his old, playful self returning to his voice. "I never knew you fancied men."

Severus scoffed but replied, his actual reply not the one that Lupin had expected, but was interestedly pleased by nonetheless.

"Not that it is any of your business, Remus, I do prefer men." He raised a brow at the brown haired man who now looked at him pensively. "What?"

"Well," Lupin began. "I was just thinking. That's probably the only thing we have in common, our preference in men. I believe once I am in the tub, I can manage."

Severus stepped forward and turned on the taps, filling the tub with hot-warm water. He the waited until Lupin was undressed and stood as the man used him as a balance, stepping into the water and then sitting down. He sank back into it, his knees sticking out of the water as he rested his head on the edge of the tub, his eyes closed contentedly. Severus leaned back against the toilet and looked up at the ceiling as Lupin washed his body and his hair. His thoughts trailed to the night he had found Lupin, in worse state than he had let the man know. He had healed him up, and the man was lucky he was alive. The Cruciatus curse performed on him was the strongest ever, he could tell from the analysis he had taken once he had gotten the body to his flat. Only Voldemort could have performed one of the strength that that one had. Lupin was in more danger than he realized, and Severus was worse off. He wasn't going to let Lupin know, though. He would insist he let him go, and as much as he might not like the man, he didn't hate him, and he wouldn't do it. It was easier him not knowing. Severus blinked as his thoughts were interrupted by Lupin.

"When'd you know?"

"Know what," he asked, slightly confused. His mind was still half on his thoughts.

"That you preferred men instead of woman?"

Severus frowned. He wasn't completely sure.

"Some time shortly after I finished Hogwarts, I suppose. What about you?"

"At the end of my fifth year," Lupin answered without hesitation. A sad sort of smile filtered onto the man's face and Severus had the sudden urge to slap it off him. He knew what had caused it.

"Sirius?"

Lupin sighed and nodded.

He felt a soft twinge of sympathy for the man and pat his shoulder awkwardly before pulling his hand away. Lupin shrugged.

"It's been years since he's died, Severus," he said, working hard to mask the sadness in his voice. "I just miss him." Severus said nothing.

He stood up and went to the cupboard above the sink, pulling out a fresh towel and placing it on the toilet.

"Like you said, Lupin," Severus said briskly, returning to the man's last name. He didn't know what had caused this sudden change and he definitely didn't like the foreign feeling deep in his gut. "He's been dead for awhile."

He turned on his heels and stopped at the door.

"I'm assuming that you can get out of the tub yourself. There are clothes in the dresser in my room. Feel free to borrow those until I can get you some of your own. Get dressed and come downstairs when you're done. I'll have dinner ready in an hour."

He gave the man one last glance, the foreign feeling still bubbling inside of him, and strode out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.


End file.
